The present invention relates to golf cups used for lining the holes in golf greens and supporting golf flagsticks therein.
The cups used in the holes in golf greens are conventionally manufactured of either injection moulded plastic or cast metal. It is also known to use a two-part cup with a tubular plastic outer hole liner and a metal stick holder fitted into the liner.
The plastic cups are known to wear out fairly rapidly because of the significant strength requirements and the inevitable wear and tear on the ferrule support. The metal cups are quite expensive as they are not only cast from metal but are coated with a wear-resistant powder coating process for the sake of appearance and resistance to the elements. Cups with large metal inserts, for example the insert disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,200 to English are complex, multi-part structures.
The present invention is concerned with a novel form of golf cup and a method for its manufacture.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a golf hole cup comprising:
a synthetic plastic cup component including:
a substantially cylindrical hole liner tube; and
a stick ferrule support including:
a hollow core smaller than the hole liner tube; and
a core mount mounting the core in the center of the hole liner tube; and
a wear resistant insert comprising a metallic sleeve mounted inside the core to engage and support a ferrule of a flag stick.
The metal insert in the core is set into the plastic cup to resist the wear and other physical damage caused by the repeated insertion and withdrawal of the stick ferrule, as well as the large and irregular loading that may be imposed on the flagstick by, for example, winds.
The insert is preferably manufactured from bronze of a quality used in bearings in order to provide the desired physical properties.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a cup for a golf hole comprising:
providing an injection mould with a cavity including an annular outer cavity part, an cylindrical inner cavity part, and a connecting part extending between the inner and outer parts, the mould having a substantially cylindrical core to be positioned in the inner component of the cavity;
mounting an annular metallic sleeve on the core;
placing the core in the cavity;
injecting molten thermoplastic material into the cavity to fill the cavity;
allowing the thermoplastic material to solidify; and
removing the moulded thermoplastic cup with the metallic sleeve insert from the injection mould.
The sleeve can thus be moulded directly into the cup using the same mould as that used for moulding all plastic cups. This allows either product to be manufactured using the same tooling.